Bethlehem's South Side has several ethnic and eclectic restaurants worth a try. Some recommendations:

The Green Cafe, S. 4th St. Excellent vegetarian and vegan dishes. I've only been there for lunch and have never been disappointed. Reco: Black bean cakes in a pita pocket. Oh, and don't miss the veggie chili.

Nawab, S. 4th. St.: Indian food. Adequate lunch buffet ($6.95) with a good mix of veggie/meat entrees. Supposedly, dinner is avg-above avg. (The Indian gentleman with whom I work says the place is OK.)

Other places near downtown worth trying are the Apollo (new, trendy, $), Confetti Cafe (reasonably priced, homemade ice cream a plus) and the Starfish Brasserie (had a great lunch there 2 weeks ago).

Supposedly, there is a Thai place to the west of the South Side. A friend is taking me there in two weeks, as I do not recall passing the place.

Drew, It's kinda late, but Starfish is at 51 W. Broad St. 610-332-8888.A place I like is Bethlehem Brew Works. Chili comes highly recommended. It's at W. Broad and Main Sts. They also have a website listing their menu.

I recommend "The Cafe" and the "Sun Inn" for a refined evening meal. The Cafe is (I think) on W. Broad St. near Main St. and the Sun Inn is on Main St. Both have good food at fair prices. The Sun Inn dates back to 1758 and had the likes of Washington, Franklin, and Lafayette as patrons. The Cafe has an interesting menu from which you can mix and match an entree and a sauce to go with it, and from which you can select a few game dishes (e.g. venison, pheasant, etc.). There's also a Viennese Pastries Cafe on Main that's worth a visit for sweets. Visit www.lehighvalleypa.org for info on the area. Hope you enjoy the stay.

Just tried a new Thai place in Bethlehem on the South Side (where else?) called Thai Kitchen. At this time, only a handful of people know about it, but that will change if their experiences are as positive as mine. The restaurant is a converted middle row home with about 12 tables. I enjoyed an outstanding vegetarian pad thai ($6.00) which was freshly prepared and full of flavor. My friend indicated that dinner is even better. I'm heading there again tomorrow and will be sure to report if my lunch is anything other than great. 347 Broadway, Bethlehem. (610) 814-2670.

Also, there's a Middle Eastern place about 3-4 row homes down; evidently, it is good as well. Hope to report on that soon.

Not many people in the Lehigh Valley region know about the South Side of Bethlehem. It's quickly turning into a culinary treasure ... Indian, Cuban, Middle Eastern, Thai, vegetarian/vegan. More to come, I hope!